


Servatis a Maleficum

by xtremeroswellian



Series: My Last Breath [3]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse approaching, Awkward Conversations, Breakups, Destinies, F/M, Family, Friendship, I'm Sorry, Latin, Made up Kryptonian Mythology, Prophecies, Resolved Sexual Tension, UST, Unfinished, accidentally married
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:27:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23882275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: The first stage was now complete.The end was coming for the planet earth, and nothing, not even Kal-El, could stop it from happening.
Relationships: Clark Kent & Jonathan Kent & Martha Kent & Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent/Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent/Lana Lang (Past), Lana Lang/Lex Luthor
Series: My Last Breath [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721134
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

_"...fate may be forseen unacknowledged..."  
-Pearl S. Buck_

Fine smiled in satisfaction as he stood in the large, empty lab at LuthorCorp. The time had finally come, and now he was going to be the one to bring this weak planet and all of its pathetic inhabitants to their knees.

He sat down behind the master computer and looked down at his hand, concentrating and watching as it shifted into the shape of a plug, which he stuck into the back of the computer’s hard drive. His eyes shone brightly in the glare from the screen and he smiled as the code transferred from his brain to the machine.

When he was through, he smirked and shifted his hand back to normal, then stood up.

The first stage was now complete.

The end was coming for the planet earth, and nothing, not even Kal-El, could stop it from happening.

* * *

Chloe sat close beside Clark at the kitchen table in the Kent’s house, her body every bit as tense, if not more so, than his. Their shoulders were just barely touching and she felt a spark of desire at the tiny contact. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to take a deep breath, and when he reached over and rested his hand on her knee beneath the table, she knew he was feeling the same way.

She felt something within her calm at the light touch and she hesitantly slid his hand over his, interlocking their fingers.

Glancing at him sideways, she saw him give her a tiny smile meant only for her and she smiled back briefly, then lowered her gaze to the table once more.

“So…let me get this straight.” Jonathan Kent was staring at the two of them, not looking happy in the least. “You’re married.”

Clark shifted uncomfortably, tightening his hand around Chloe’s just a bit. “Sort of. According to Jor-El, anyway. By Kryptonian standards.”

Martha was staring at them wide-eyed.

“Son, I don’t even know what to say about this.”

“Dad, it’s not like we ran off to Vegas and eloped,” Clark pointed out. “We didn’t know what was gonna happen.”

Chloe felt her heart sink a little and she pulled her hand away from his, folding her arms on the table. “He’s right.” She tried to ignore the near physical pain that the implication of his words caused. He wasn't in love with her. Just because they’d kissed and were now apparently husband and wife alien-style didn’t mean he was happy about it. Essentially nothing had changed. “Besides that, Clark’s in love with Lana.”

He winced a little. “Chloe--”

“But that’s not really what’s important right now.” She didn’t look at him. “Apparently there’s some kind of apocalypse forthcoming and we have to stop it. That’s what matters.”

Martha let out a breath, looking at them warily. “I think we should call it a night. It’s late and you both look exhausted. We can talk more about this in the morning.” She looked at Chloe, hesitant. “You’re welcome to stay here tonight--”

“No,” she said quickly, rising to her feet and shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m gonna…go to Lois’s.”

“Chloe.” Clark held a hand out to her. “Come on, we need to talk.”

“Not tonight,” she answered quietly. “Your mom’s right, Clark. I’m really tired and I’m not up for this right now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And before he could say anything else, she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

_“The heart has its reasons which reason does not understand.” ~Blaise Pascal_

Chloe stared blankly at the blinking cursor on her laptop, sighing in soft annoyance as it took longer than usual to boot up. After nearly three minutes, she glared at it and set it aside, raking a hand through her hair as she stood up. Great, on top of everything her computer was apparently crapping out on her.

Fantastic.

She leaned against Lois’s living room window, staring out into the darkness and the alley below her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could’ve sworn she saw movement, but when she looked, no one and nothing was there. Unsettled, she shut the curtains and moved away from the glass. She plopped down on the sofa, giving her laptop a withering look and flipping on the television.

She sighed softly as the first image that popped onto the screen was of Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose on Titanic, standing at the bow of a ship, embracing. Despite the fact the volume was muted so she wouldn’t wake her sleeping cousin, she knew the scene by heart and the imagery alone was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Chloe wasn’t normally the type to cry over sappy movies, but Titanic had always gotten to her. The first time she’d seen it, she’d been ten years old and she’d fallen in love with the movie. There was something intense and powerful about the love that the main characters had for one another, and how Jack was so quick to sacrifice himself to keep Rose safe.

Some cynical part of her had always been convinced that love like that didn’t really exist--and if it did, it didn’t exist for her. No guy was ever going to love her like that.

Especially not the one guy she wished with all her heart would. “Give it up, Sullivan,” she whispered, letting a tear trickle down her cheek. “You’ll always be second best when it comes to Clark Kent. Get over it.” And lying down on the sofa, she closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Clark lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, one hand resting on his stomach. The urge to go to Chloe and try to sort out what was going on was strong, but he knew that right then she wanted to be left alone. He didn’t quite understand it, but he could feel what she was feeling. Something about their Kryptonian bond had flooded his mind with knowledge of things he hadn’t realized before.

Such as the fact that his “marriage” to Chloe had literally tied them together mentally and physically. Before the kiss that had bound them, he had been feeling emotions he didn’t understand and hadn’t known where they were coming from. Now he realized that he’d been feeling Chloe’s emotions ever since Jor-El had brought her back to life. And she, in turn, had felt his, but only when she was near him.

Which was the same reason her powers had only worked when he was around. Because before that kiss sealed the deal that united them in spirit, Chloe had still been human. Her powers had been linked to him. But now…Chloe was like him. Kryptonian.

Swallowing hard, he pressed a hand to his face. She didn’t realize that yet and he didn’t really relish being the one to tell her, either. How exactly did you drop a bomb like that on someone? “Hey, Chlo, guess what? You’re not human anymore!” Yeah, that’d fly real well, he thought wryly, letting out a breath.  
He winced a little as sorrow tugged at him and he immediately placed it as Chloe’s. And when he felt regret, he knew it was his own and wondered if she would realize that when she felt it. Letting out a breath, he gave up on the idea of sleep for the night and made his way down the stairs and into the living room where he flipped on the TV and plopped onto the sofa.

Shaking his head as the familiar images of a scene from Titanic filled the screen, a faint smile tugged at his lips. He knew Chloe loved this movie even though she denied it vehemently when someone asked. He sighed a bit as the screen blurred with static snow for a moment, then came into focus again.

Stretching out on the sofa, he closed his eyes, the image of her face immediately coming to the forefront of his mind. It had only been a few hours since he’d last seen her.

But it felt like an eternity.

* * *

“So wanna tell me what this all night cry-fest is about?” Lois rubbed her eyes as she dropped onto the sofa beside her cousin later that night. She reached over and took the carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream from Chloe and scooped out a bite with the spoon, closing her eyes.

Chloe sniffled a little, shrugging. “I kept waking up so I figured I might as well just stay awake.”

“This wouldn’t by chance have anything to do with a certain fashion-impaired farm boy, would it?” She didn’t answer and Lois nodded knowingly. “I thought so. Look, Cous…I know I’ve told you this before, but you could do so much better than Clark Kent.”

She snorted. “The problem is, I don’t want to.”

Lois sighed softly. “He’s not worth it, Chloe. Look at how many times he’s put you through this. Why do you keep letting him do this to you?”

Chloe closed her eyes against the tears she felt building once more. “It’s not like I have a choice. I love him, Lois. I always have. How do you just…turn that off?”

Lois fell silent, watching the snowy television screen. “Well, I know watching blurry reruns of the tragic love story between Buffy and Angel isn’t helping.”

“I was an Angel and Cordelia fan anyway,” Chloe replied, shutting the TV off.

She took another bite of the ice cream. “You know what? We both need sleep. But first thing in the morning, we’re going shopping, and we’re going to guy-watch.”

Chloe tried to smile but didn’t quite make it. “Lois--”

“Trust me. You’ll thank me later.” Lois rose to her feet and padded back down the hall in her fuzzy Elmo slippers, disappearing into the bedroom once more.

She sighed softly, watching her cousin go. Her gaze drifted back to the now blank television screen. Funny. Blank was exactly how she now felt.

* * *

Clark did his morning chores a bit slower than usual, taking his time and attempting to clear his head all at once. It wasn’t working very well. His father kept attempting to say something to him, but every time Jonathan spoke, Clark zoned out, feeling like he hadn’t slept in weeks.

He finally stopped what he was doing and leaned against the fence post, letting out a long breath.

Jonathan watched him worriedly. “Son, I know there’s a lot going on right now…”

“I know. I’m sorry I’m distracted. It’s just…” Clark rubbed the back of his neck.

He waited patiently for his son to finish.

“I can’t seem to think straight when…” He looked away. “She’s not around.”

Jonathan was silent for a moment, then looking even more worried, he said, “Clark, what do you know about marriage on Krypton?”

“Next to nothing really,” he answered. “Jor-El wasn’t very forthcoming with information. He just said that we were married and that Chloe was now…one of us.”

His eyes widened. “One of you? Are you telling me that Chloe’s Kryptonian now?”

Clark nodded silently.

He attempted to take in that bit of information, looking stunned.

“I know. And I’m not sure Chloe realizes that yet.”

“Son, this is serious,” Jonathan said gravely.

“I know it is.” He turned away. “This is all my fault. She got dragged into this whole mess because of me, because of who I am.”

“Clark. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that Chloe cares very much about you and that if there’s any person on this earth who will be understanding about what’s happening, it’s her.”

Clark paused. “I don’t know.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jonathan couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I do.”

He turned to look at his dad once more, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Jonathan nodded slightly. “Go find her. Talk to her. You can finish up here later. It’s not like it takes you that long to do your chores.”  
A smile tugged at Clark’s lips and a second later, he was gone.

* * *

Lois tapped her foot impatiently against the floor, then smiled when Chloe emerged a moment later wearing a pretty green spaghetti strap shirt and a pair of blue jeans. “You look fantastic. Come on, let’s go meet some guys.”

She tried to smile but didn’t quite manage it.

Lois opened the door and her eyes narrowed as she spotted Clark, his hand raised in mid-air as if he’d been about to knock. “Uh-uh. Go away, Smallville. We’re having a girl’s day out.” She was using her ‘don’t screw with me’ tone.

He barely looked at her, his gaze immediately locking on Chloe, who gazed back at him intently, her heart beating quicker. “Chloe, we need to talk.”

“I know,” she found herself saying, ignoring the ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ look that Lois was shooting her.

Clark moved past Lois and stepped into the apartment.

“Come on in, Smallville,” she said sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest.

“It’s okay, Lois. I’ll catch up with you later,” Chloe said, not looking at her.

Lois sighed heavily. “This is such a bad idea.” Shaking her head, she left the apartment, pulling the door shut behind her.

Clark and Chloe gazed at each other for a few seconds. And then Clark closed the distance between the two of them, and pulled her to him, catching her off guard. His breathing was off, like he was afraid or…excited?

A warmth flooded through her at that thought, and before she could debate it any longer, he pressed his lips against hers and every thought flew out of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

_“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid. We fear we will not find love, and when we find it we fear we'll lose it. We fear that if we do not have love we will be unhappy.”_

_\--Richard Bach_

Chloe’s hands rested lightly upon his shoulders and Clark’s arms were wound around her waist and for a full thirty seconds, she thought she was going to simply melt into a puddle right there in the middle of her cousin’s apartment.

Then, as if Lois had been standing beside her and had suddenly smacked her in the back of the head for her stupidity, she pulled away from the embrace, taking a step away from Clark.

“Chloe…” His voice was raw and he moved toward her once more but she put her hand in the air to signal stop.

“Clearly you’re not thinking right, Clark.”

“This is the first time I’ve been thinking clearly since last night.”

She drew in a breath, feeling her resolve waver a bit, but she shook her head in denial of her own emotions and desires. “You came here to talk. So let’s talk.”

Clark gazed at her a moment longer, then slowly sat down on the sofa. “You’re right,” he murmured, rubbing his eyes.

Hesitating, she eased herself down onto the recliner across from him, feeling very awake despite having had such little sleep the previous night.

“There’s some things that you should know that…you don’t. At least I don’t think you do.” He looked up at her, his eyes worried.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good.” She let out a breath, resting her hands on her knees. “All right. Tell me what’s going on.”

Clark hesitated, but didn’t look away. “Chloe…you’re like me now.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” He swallowed hard and she could sense his fear of telling her whatever he was about to tell her. “You’re…Kryptonian.”

A short laugh escaped her. “Yeah, except the whole me being human and being born on earth to a human father and mother.”

He didn’t smile.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Wow, you’re not kidding, are you?”

Clark slowly shook his head.

Chloe slowly stood up, her emotions jumbled with confusion. “You Kryptonians are really something.”

“Chloe, I’m sorry--” he began.

“It’s not like it’s your fault, Clark.”

“Actually, it kind of is.”

She let out a breath, trying to collect her thoughts as she raked a hand through her hair. “All right…so I’m Kryptonian, what exactly does that mean?”

“Well, uh…your new abilities are permanent for one.” He watched her carefully, trying to read her emotions but he wasn’t getting much from her at all and that confused him. “And apparently marriage on Krypton meant that you could feel your spouse’s emotions.”

“Are you telling me you’re empathic now?”

“And so are you.”

She turned to face him, surprise registering on her face. “So that’s….” The strange feelings she’d had from the last few days suddenly made sense to her now: they hadn’t been her emotions at all. They’d been Clark’s. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

Clark didn’t respond, simply gazed at her worriedly.

“I’m fine, Clark.”

“I’m not really getting anything from you,” he told her softly.

“What do you mean?” she asked in confusion.

“I mean…last night when you left, you were really upset and I could feel it…all night.” He swallowed hard, looking every bit as guilty as he felt. “Right now, it’s like there’s a void.”

Chloe didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Yeah, well, years of practice switching off my emotions will do that, I guess.”

He fell silent.

“All right, well we should get going.” She walked to the door and grabbed her coat off the hook.

“Going?” he repeated, shaking his head.

“To the Fortress to see Jor-El.”

“Why?” As soon as he said the word, a flash of sorrow washed over him, but it was squashed quickly and replaced with the void feeling. Feeling uneasy, he stepped toward her. “Chloe--”

“To find out how divorce works on your planet.”


	4. Chapter 4

_“…cause you were meant for me  
And I was meant for you…”  
\--Jewel, “You Were Meant For Me”_

For several moments, Clark remained rooted to the floor of Lois Lane’s apartment, his eyes wide and his face pale. “You…want a divorce?” he finally managed to choke out.

She tried to ignore the part of her that screamed no. “Clark…it’s not like we actually got married. This was all a big…accident or a mistake or whatever you wanna call it. The only reason we’re…” She motioned between them. “Linked…is because Lana doesn’t know who you really are. Because otherwise, this would have happened like it should have--with you and her.”

“No.” His voice was low and he took a step toward her.

Chloe folded her arms across her chest, reminding him for all the world of Lois. The similarities between the two cousins was uncanny. “No?”

“No.”

Her jaw tensed slightly. “Clark, you are in love with Lana Lang.”

He hesitated. “Am I?”

“Oh, God.” She leaned against the door for support, frustrated and angry. “Clark, you’ve been in love with her since you were seven years old.”

“But…subconsciously I chose you. That’s gotta mean something, Chloe.” He gazed at her, his eyes pleading.

“Clark, maybe what it means is that Lana isn’t the one who’s right for you and deep down you knew that.”

“Yeah or maybe all along I’ve known you were.”

“Stop it.” Her voice was firm, bordering on vehemence. “I’m not going down this road with you again, Clark. I can’t.”

He swallowed hard. “Chloe, I’m not sure we have a choice here.”

“Of course we have a choice. I wasn’t born on your planet. I’m sure as hell not gonna abide the rules or laws of it, either.”

There was a long moment of silence between them.

“You really…want a divorce?” His voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible.

She turned away from him. “Yes. What did you expect? That we were gonna come back here and play house?”

“I…don’t know what I thought,” Clark admitted quietly.

“Clark, we both know this isn’t what you want,” she said, staring at the front door and trying to ignore the tears burning in her eyes. “There’s no reason we should pretend like it is.”

He closed his eyes, feeling sick and like he was going to scream from the pain in his heart. He slowly sat down on the sofa once more. “Chloe…”

“I don’t want this either.”

“You’re lying,” he murmured, pressing a hand to his face.

Chloe cringed, hating that she didn’t have control over her emotions, hating that he could feel exactly what she was and call her on the lie that was supposed to protect them both. “Fine. Maybe I am. But this would never work. And I’m not lying about that.”

He swallowed hard. “Why wouldn’t it work?”

“Let me count the ways, Clark. Lana, Lois, your parents, my dad--shall I go on?”

“Please don’t.” Clark rested his head in his hands. He let out a breath.

Feeling suddenly drained and knowing it wasn’t just her own emotions, she slowly sat down on the sofa beside him and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. “Jor-El told me that in all the other universes…that there was no me,” she whispered. “But there was a Lois. And the two of you…”

He lifted his head and turned to look at her, his mouth agape. “Me and Lois?!?”

A smile tugged at her lips despite her own overwhelming emotions. “Apparently.”

He made a face. “No offense but I’d rather poke out my eyes with a spork, Chloe.”

She chuckled softly. “And I have a strong feeling Lois feels the same way…I’m just saying that…this isn’t what’s supposed to happen, Clark. You and me…it’s not right.” Even as she said the words, she felt the weight of them upon her shoulders--they were a lie and deep down she knew it. He probably did, too. They’d been thrown together so many years ago, had become friends and then enemies and then best friends for a reason.

“But you exist in this world, Chloe,” he whispered. “In my world. And I can’t imagine it any other way. I don’t care about those other universes, I only care about this one.”

“As sweet as that is,” she whispered, shaking her head. “This can’t happen.”

Clark gazed at her, his eyes sad. “We’ll still be friends, right?”

“Of course.” Her voice was strained and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She didn’t realize that his did, as well.

He reached up and touched her face, then leaned his forehead against hers. “If this is what you really want…” He swallowed hard and kissed her softly. “That’s what we’ll do.”

“It’s not what I want,” she admitted. “But it’s what right. What’s for the best.”

Closing his eyes, he pulled her into his arms. And hoped she was right.

* * *  
“Welcome back, Kal-El. Welcome back, Chloe Sullivan-El.”

Clark resisted the urge to wrap his arm around Chloe’s shoulder and pull her closer to him as they entered the Fortress of Solitude together. “Jor-El, we came because--”

“We want a divorce,” Chloe finished for him, looking around wide-eyed.

Laughter echoed off the walls of the Fortress.

“What’s so funny?” Clark asked, annoyed and confused by his biological father’s response to the request.

“There is no divorce on Krypton, Kal-El. Once you are married, it cannot be undone.”

“No, there has to be a way…I didn’t even know we were getting married!” Chloe said in frustration and Clark swore she was about to stomp her feet.

“I am sorry, Chloe,” Jor-El’s voice responded, though really, he didn’t sound sorry at all. “You are Clark’s destined. You cannot fight destiny.”

“The hell I can’t!” She put her hands on her hips. “Your son is in love with someone else!”

There was a moment of silence. Then, “Kal-El?”

“I’m…with someone else,” he admitted, feeling guilty and wincing as he felt the flash of pain Chloe experienced at his words.

“The only way to undo what has been done is to use a temporal fold in time.”

“Great. Let’s do that,” Chloe said urgently. She only hoped that it would make her forget her rediscovered feelings for Clark, and that neither of them would remember they’d briefly married.

“There are dire consequences for such an action,” Jor-El said gravely.

“What kinds of consequences?” Clark questioned, glancing at Chloe.

“If I do what you are requesting, Chloe will die. Zod will be released. And the world will be destroyed.”

All the color drained from his face, as it did hers.

“W--what?” Chloe whispered in shock.

“When you sacrificed yourself to save Kal-El, you changed his destiny, and yours, and that of every individual’s on this planet. If you recant your choice, the world will go on as it would have until Zod succeeds in destroying Earth.”

“Like he did to Krypton,” Clark whispered.

“Yes,” Jor-El confirmed.

Chloe felt dizzy and she slowly sat down on a rock. “So you’re saying…that we really can’t…”

“You cannot be unbound.”

Clark swallowed hard, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He wasn’t sure if it was his, hers, or both. “But you said the world was in danger now…what do we do? What is it in danger from?”

“When Fine opened the portal between dimensions, it was not opened long enough to release General Zod. But he is not the only threat to this race or this planet that exists.”

“Are you saying something came through the portal?” Clark asked, his eyes widening.

“Indeed.”

“I didn’t see anything,” Chloe said, shaking her head.

“Some things that aren’t from earth cannot be seen until they are ready to reveal themselves.”

Clark turned and met Chloe’s worried gaze. “How do we stop it?” he asked Jor-El.

“You will know when the time has come. Good luck, my children. Servatis a Maleficum!”

* * *

Clark landed on the ground outside his parents’ house with a loud thud and a moment later, Chloe landed on top of him, looking dazed.

Resting his head on the grass, he looked at her intently, his hands resting on her hips. “You okay?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“I’m fine,” he told her, nodding a little, and not looking away.

“I guess this means we’re stuck together after all,” she whispered.

Clark lifted a hand to her cheek. “We’ll figure it all out, Chlo. I promise.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe gazed down at him, unable to tear her gaze from his as she lay on top of him on the ground, his hand against her face. Without thinking about it, she turned her head slightly and kissed the palm of his hand, closing her eyes. She heard him let out a breath and a second later, she felt his lips brush over her forehead. It was a sweet gesture, but it wasn’t where she wanted his lips right then.

As if sensing her growing need, he shifted their positions so they were sitting up, Chloe in his lap. Her eyes remained closed as she felt his hand slowly slide through her hair, his fingers brushing against the nape of her neck. A second later she felt him kiss the corner of her mouth, so lightly it was like the wings of a butterfly.

Her heart was beating quickly and as badly as she wanted to kiss him right then, she was content sitting still and waiting to find out what he was going to do.

Clark kissed the other corner of her mouth, his cheek brushing against hers lightly.

And that’s when they heard someone clear their throat.

Chloe’s eyes flew opened and they quickly pulled apart, scattering and climbing to their feet. Heat flushed her face when she turned and saw Jonathan Kent standing a few feet away with raised eyebrows and a bemused expression on his face.

“Dad,” Clark said, looking a mixture of embarrassed and dazed. “Uh, how long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough,” he said wryly and Chloe’s cheeks turned redder. “I could use some help, Son. The tractor won’t start.”

“We just fixed it yesterday.”

“Well, it’s not working now.” He glanced at Chloe, a very faint smile touching his lips. “Chloe, I’m sure Martha could use some help in the kitchen fixing dinner.”

“Right. Of course.” Shooting Clark an embarrassed look, she quickly headed toward the porch.

“Chloe?”

She paused at the sound of his voice and turned to see him gazing at her intently. “Yeah?”

His eyes were full of warmth and he offered her a sweet smile that made her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t help but smile back at him. Clark’s one weakness was green Kryptonite.

And her one weakness was Clark Kent.

* * *

Martha kept sneaking glances at Chloe as the younger woman worked at her side slicing tomatoes and onions for the stew that Martha was fixing. She’d always liked Chloe, ever since the first time Clark had brought her home so she could see what a farm was like. They’d just been children then, but she’d always known that the pretty blonde had feelings for her son that went beyond platonic.

Through the years she’d watched as the triangle unfolded: Chloe falling more deeply for Clark, Clark falling more deeply for Lana, and Lana always unsure of her own feelings for anyone. But recently things had shifted again and it seemed that Clark returned Chloe’s feelings, though she couldn’t help but wonder if that was because of their new Kryptonian marriage.

Drawing in a breath, she eased her mind away from that thought for the time being. The triangle wasn’t the only thing she’d seen unfold over the years. She’d watched as all three of them evolved from young, immature children to responsible, intelligent adults. None of them had had an easy time of things, which was perhaps part of the reason they’d grown so close over the years.

Lana had lost her parents when she was very young, and had always felt out of place, wondering who would abandon her next.

Clark had the weight of the world on his shoulders because of his powers and abilities, always feeling the need to save those who were in need and in trouble.

And then there was Chloe.

At first glance, someone might make the mistake of thinking that the pretty blonde was but a tenacious reporter, wanting nothing more than to get the scoop on the latest story. But Martha knew better. Yes, Chloe loved journalism, but she knew it paled in comparison to how she felt about Clark and that was saying something.

She also knew that Chloe’s mother had taken off when she was very young, and as far as she knew, Chloe hadn’t seen her since. It was something she never talked about, even, she suspected, with Clark. Lana Lang wore her abandonment and heartbreak on her sleeve and Chloe Sullivan hid hers within the very depths of her soul. And yet she was loyal to a fault, stubborn and refused to give up on people, even ones who didn’t tend to deserve her trust or friendship.

She’d made her share of mistakes over the years, but she’d done more than redeem herself in Martha’s eyes. She’d sacrificed her own life to save Clark’s without having any idea that Jor-El would bring her back, and for that, Martha was more grateful than Chloe would ever realize. In Chloe, Clark had found someone in addition to her and Jonathan who would die to keep him safe, to protect his secret to the very last.

And despite the fact that she truly liked Lana, Martha had always, deep down, believed that Chloe was a far better match for Clark. She never would have told him, that, of course, because she didn’t want to influence his decisions when it came to matters of the heart. But she also believed that if Clark was truly married to Chloe according to Jor-El, that the young woman more than deserved him.

“Mrs. Kent? Are you all right?” There was concern in Chloe’s voice and for the first time Martha realized Chloe was gazing at her worriedly.

“I’m fine, Chloe,” she said warmly. She set her stirring spoon on the stove, hesitated a second, and embraced her. She could tell Chloe was surprised by the spontaneous hug, but she quickly hugged Martha back. They pulled apart and smiled at one another. Martha touched her cheek. “I’m not sure I completely understand how marriage on Krypton works. But…welcome to the family.”

Chloe’s eyes widened a little in surprise and then watered. “Thank you, Mrs. Kent.”

Martha smiled through her own tears and then went back to work.

* * *

“Did you get the tractor fixed?” Chloe heard Martha asked as Jonathan and Clark came inside the house nearly an hour later.

She barely heard Mr. Kent’s ‘no’ when she locked eyes with Clark. He slowly moved toward her and she felt the breath catch in her throat. “Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey.” Chloe gazed at him intently.

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but before he could get any words out, the lights flickered.

And they were plunged into darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

“What’s going on? Did the breaker go out?” Martha’s voice came through the darkness of the kitchen.

“First the tractor, now the power.” Jonathan sighed heavily and Chloe could hear him moving toward a drawer, then rummaging around. “Martha, the flashlight’s not in here.”

Chloe closed her eyes and did her best to focus.

“I think there’s one in the…” Martha’s voice trailed off and Chloe opened her eyes to see a beam of light floating in the air.

Clark grinned at her, then reached out and grabbed the flashlight.

In the dim light she could see Jonathan with an amused expression on his face and Martha looking slightly amazed.

“I’ll go check the circuit-breaker,” Clark said, heading for the door.

“I’ll go with you.” Chloe bit her lip and quickly followed him, missing the smile exchanged between Clark’s parents.

He paused at the door, waiting for her, then held his hand out to her.

She glanced at it for only a second before sliding her hand into his and then heading out the backdoor. “This is kinda weird, isn’t it?” She looked up at the clear night sky.

“What is?”

“The power going out.”

“Not really. The breaker kicks out a lot out here. One of the great things about living on a farm.” He smiled at her.

Not feeling reassured, but not wanting to voice her doubt, she simply nodded and followed him out to the cellar. “So this is where you used to keep your ship, right?” Her voice was soft.

“Yeah.”

They fell silent and he pulled open the cellar doors, shining the light down the stairs so she wouldn’t trip and fall.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she descended the stairs and he followed, shining the light on the box on the wall and opening the small door to check the breakers. “Huh.”

“What?”

“Well, none of them are off.” An uneasy expression settled on her face and he must have noticed cause he stepped closer to her. “A squirrel probably got caught in the power lines.”

Chloe nodded wordlessly, feeling the warmth from his body radiating against hers. As if he sensed it at the same time, his gaze focused on hers and he reached out, pulling her closer to him. “Clark.” Her voice was barely audible.

He offered her a small, sweet smile and lifted his free hand to touch her cheek, grazing the back of his fingers against her soft skin. The breath caught in her throat at the light caress and she felt her heart speed up. Even more so when he dipped his head closer to hers. Just as their lips brushed, she heard Mr. Kent’s voice calling from above.

“Clark?”

Chloe closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against Clark’s chest for a moment, disappointed.

Clark rested a hand on the back of her neck, his fingers combing lightly through her hair. “It’s not the breaker, Dad,” he called back, a small hint of annoyance in his voice.

A smile tugged at her lips. At least she wasn’t the only one craving more than just some gentle touches--not that she minded those in the least.

“Well, your mother found some candles so we’ll just have dinner by candlelight tonight.”

“Okay.” Sighing softly, he wound his arms around Chloe, resting his head on top of hers.

“We should probably…”

“I know.”

She swallowed hard and reluctantly pulled away from him, heading up the stairs and feeling slightly dazed. She’d always been attracted to Clark, had loved him since the first time she met him. But in the last 36 hours it was like someone had jumpstarted her feelings for him and kicked them into overdrive.

She could tell that he felt the same way, and not just because he seemed to want to touch her whenever they were near, but because she could feel his growing desire for her. And as exciting as it was and as much as she wanted to give into that desire they shared, a little voice in the back of her mind whispered a reminder to her that they weren’t on Krypton.

They were on Earth.

And on the planet Earth, Clark Kent had a girlfriend already.

Her name was Lana Lang, and said girlfriend happened to be one of Chloe’s best friends.

Her heart ached at the sudden thought of Lana, and she felt a wave of guilt wash over her, mixed in with feelings of doubt and confusion. Sure, Clark wanted her. It was impossible not to know that. What she doubted was that it was anything more than raw, physical need to be with her because of the marital bond they shared.

“Chloe?” There was worry in his voice as they headed toward the house.

Not for the first time in the last several hours, she cursed the fact that he could feel her emotions the same way she could feel his. She wasn’t used to sharing her feelings with anyone, she was used to keeping them to herself as a much needed measure of self-protection. And right then, it was something she wished she had the ability to do more than anything.

Chloe was a realist. She didn’t have any expectations that because Clark’s biological father had informed them they were married, that it meant Clark suddenly loved her. It wasn’t as if they’d truly chosen to get married. Maybe they couldn’t divorce on Krypton without causing hell on Earth, but that didn’t mean they were going to settle down and play house, either. She knew this wasn’t going to end well. She was going to get hurt if she let herself get too close to him. As if she hadn’t already.

“Hmm?” she murmured, remembering he’d spoken.

“Are you all right?”

“Oh. Yeah. Just…a little worried about the whole electricity situation,” she lied softly.

He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder as they reached the porch.

Swallowing hard, she turned to face him wordlessly and he searched her eyes.

Clark drew in a breath as if he were about to say something, but she shook her head. “Come on, they’re waiting for us.”

Nodding reluctantly, he followed her into the house.

* * *

Dinner was quiet and somewhat enchanting as the shadows from the candle flames danced upon the ceilings and walls. More than once, Chloe found herself staring intently at the fire, dazed, and more than once she’d missed the worried looks that had passed among the Kent family.

Afterwards, she helped clear the table, leaving the dishes to soak since the power was out and doing them then could make the well run dry. Another benefit of living in the country.

For awhile the four of them just sat in silence in the living room after Clark had built a fire in the fireplace. Then shortly after nine, Martha murmured something about being tired and reminded Clark that the extra blankets were in the hall closet before she and Jonathan headed to bed, leaving Clark and Chloe in the room alone together.

“I should probably go stay with Lois,” she said after a few moments.

But Clark reached out and laid his hand on her arm, his eyes intent. “No.”

“No?” she repeated, confused.

He shook his head, gazing at her. “Stay with me.”


	7. Chapter 7

There was a moment of total silence save the flickering of the fire’s flames in the fireplace. His hand still lingered on her arm and she swallowed hard, that simple light touch making her resolve weaken. “Clark, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she whispered.

“It sounds like a good idea to me.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips at the seriousness of his tone. “We should talk about what’s happening between us. About…what Jor-El said is coming.”

“Yeah.” Clark nodded slightly. “We should, but…not tonight.” He lifted a hand to her face, touching her cheek gently and trailing his fingers down her soft skin.

Chloe’s eyes drifted shut and she leaned into his touch. “Clark…”

“Please. I just…need to be close to you tonight. I don’t mean…you know…I just…I need to hold you.”

She opened her eyes once more and met his gaze, the uncertainty reflecting in her eyes. The pleading look on his face was more than she could handle. She could never deny him. “Okay,” she whispered softly.

He leaned closer and pressed a soft, light kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

Watching as he left, Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly, feeling shaken.

Clark returned a moment later, carrying a heavy, warm blanket. He motioned for her to stand up and she did so slowly, biting her lower lip.

He kicked his boots off and moved toward her, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and pulling her close to him in an embrace.

She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist, melting against him. His cheek brushed against hers as he nuzzled her neck and she closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her.

Clark slid a hand through her hair, touching her as if she was the most precious being on Earth. He slowly pulled away and kissed her forehead, then leaned his head against hers, the shadows from the flickering firelight dancing on their skin.

Chloe pressed a soft kiss against his collarbone, then rested her head there as he held her.

He pulled away just a little, tipping her chin up so he could gaze into her eyes. Then he leaned in and kissed her, a very light, gentle brushing of his lips against hers before reaching out and cupping her face in his hands. His thumbs stroked lightly over her cheekbones, their gazes locked, searching one another. “I’m glad it’s you, Chloe,” he whispered.

“What’s me?” she murmured.

“That I’m married to.”

A flicker of doubt clouded her eyes. “You wouldn’t rather be married to Lana?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation, his voice soft.

She swallowed hard, trying to absorb that in her mind, trying to memorize his expression as he said the words, because deep down she feared in the morning he would regret saying them.

“Come on,” he whispered, leading her to the sofa and laying down, holding his arms out to her.

Chloe hesitantly slipped her shoes off and gracefully slid into his arms as he pulled her on top of him. She closed her eyes, resting her head on his collarbone as he rested his head on top of hers. He pulled the blanket over them and rubbed her back gently in slow, gentle circles.

She relaxed in his arms, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat as she drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chloe woke the next morning, her head still resting on Clark’s chest as she laid sprawled out on top of him. His arms were wound around her in an almost possessive way and she wondered how he’d managed to sleep in such a position all night.

Slowly opening her eyes, she let out a breath and heard hushed voices from the kitchen. She lifted her head a little, squinting against the sunlight that was filtering in through the living room windows. And realized that the television was on. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out how that was possible and it took her a moment before she was awake enough to realize that the power was obviously back on.

The screen was fuzzy with static and she rubbed her eyes with one hand, watching the news reporter, whom was apparently stationed in Japan. “There are reports of multiple fires breaking out after last night’s 7.2 quake. Thousands are presumed dead and many more missing. At this time we have no further information on…”

“Clark,” she murmured, turning her attention away from the television and gazing down at him. She hated to wake him, but she really needed to get up. Besides, his parents were obviously awake already and she didn’t want things to become even more awkward than they were already going to be. “Wake up.”

He groaned softly and turned his head to one side, a lock of hair falling across his eyes.

A faint smile tugged at her lips and she reached up and gently brushed it away from his forehead, her hand lingering on his cheek. And that’s when his eyes opened. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised that she was lying on top of him. A lazy smile spread across his face. “Morning,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.

“Morning,” she whispered back.

Clark gazed at her, his blue eyes sparkling. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good…what about you?”

“I slept good, too.” He smiled.

“Your parents are awake,” she told him, nodding slightly toward the kitchen. “And the power’s back on.”

“Oh. That’s good.” He glanced over at the television briefly, then focused on her once more.

She became very aware of how his hand was rubbing gentle circles on her back, as he’d done the night before. “Clark, we should get up,” she murmured. It was really the last thing she wanted to do, but things would already be awkward at breakfast since his parents had undoubtedly seen her sleeping on top of their son.

We are married, she thought, then quickly nixed the thought. She was not going to let herself fall into that particular line of thinking. That was dangerous territory.

Clark’s eyebrows furrowed. “Chloe? Are you okay?”

She felt his confusion and chided herself for forgetting that he could feel her emotions. “Yeah, it’s just…what are your parents gonna say?”

He shrugged a little and slowly sat up, his arms still wound around her waist. He lifted one hand to her cheek and placed a soft kiss against her cheek.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, resting her hands on his shoulders as she felt the familiar pull of need to be closer to him. “Clark…”

“I know.” He leaned his forehead against hers briefly and she felt his own aching desire to kiss her, to consummate their Kryptonian marriage.

Feeling warm and unsettled, she reluctantly pulled away from him. “I’m gonna wash up before breakfast.”

Clark nodded and watched her head out of the living room and away from him, a soft sigh escaping him. There had to be some way to convince her of the truth--that he’d begun to realize she’d been the one he loved all along.

And then he knew what he had to do. It wasn’t going to be easy, and he hated himself for the pain that it would inevitably cause, but he couldn’t let Chloe go on thinking he was in love with someone else.

He had to go tell Lana the truth.

As soon as possible.

* * *

As predicted, breakfast had been awkward. Jonathan had kept looking from Clark to Chloe and back again, looking a combination of uncertain and disapproving, while Martha had attempted to make light conversation.

Afterwards, Clark had sped off to do his chores while Chloe helped Martha clean up the dishes and the kitchen.

When he returned, she was finished and he’d asked her to come up to the loft with him, to which she’d reluctantly agreed.

She sat on the sofa, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched him lean against the window frame.

“We need to talk, Chloe.” His voice was soft.

Chloe nodded in agreement, drawing in a breath as she tried to brace herself. She could feel his worry and confusion and sadness all blended together to form a maelstrom of emotions.

“I’m gonna tell Lana the truth today.”

All the air left her lungs and she felt her heart sink. She had to look away from him to keep him from seeing the hot tears that stung her eyes. “Good. It’s about time, Clark. She deserves to know.”

He paused, wincing a bit as the wave of sorrow hit him. “No, not…not about me, Chloe, about…us.”

“There is no us, Clark. We’re just friends. That’s what we’ve always been.”

Clark stared at her in disbelief. “Chloe, look at me.”

She didn’t respond and didn’t lift her gaze.

He pushed himself away from the window and moved so he was crouched down in front of her as she sat on the sofa. “Chloe.”

“Please, just…” She swallowed hard, closing her eyes.

Wordlessly, Clark wound his arms around her, pulling her body closer to his own and pressing his lips against hers as he slid his fingers through her hair. A soft whimper escaped her and he urged her lips apart with his tongue. She offered no hesitation, and their tongues met in a fiery duel as Clark tried to pull her even closer, her back against the sofa.

Desire unlike anything he’d ever felt before flooded him and without thinking about it, he slid his hands beneath the fabric of her cotton blouse, causing her to gasp as his fingers trailed over her bare skin.

“Clark,” she whispered, slowly pulling away from him, her heart thudding heavily in her chest.

“You’re the one I want, Chloe,” he whispered, cutting off whatever protests she was about to throw in his general direction. “I love you. I think I always have and I was just too stupid not to see it.” He swallowed hard, gazing at her intently.

Hope surged through her and she bit her lip, looking at him. “I know you care about me, I can feel that, but…”

“But what?”

“I just can’t shake the feeling that…this is all some Kryptonian induced ecstasy trip.”

“Chloe--”

“I mean, what do we know about marriage on your planet?” she continued, slowly standing up and straightening her clothes.

He could feel her defenses beginning to waver.

“For all we know all these feelings could just be some bizarre mirage to get us to, you know--” She stopped herself.

“What purpose would that serve?” he asked gently.

Chloe turned to look at him, opening her mouth to speak. But no words came out.

Clark slowly stood up, moving closer to her, his eyes full of sincerity. “I love you,” he said again, his voice soft but firm. “You’re the one I wanna be with. I know it’s a weird situation, Chloe. I know this isn’t how you imagined it. But…we have to play the hand we’re dealt, right?”

She let out a breath, gazing up at him. “Since when did you get philosophical?”

A smile tugged at his lips and he rested his hands on her shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’m gonna go to Metropolis,” he said quietly.

“You shouldn’t have to go alone.”

“I don’t wanna put you in the middle of whatever’s gonna go down between me and Lana.”

“I’m already in the middle of it, Clark. Right in the dead center, actually,” she pointed out. “And it’s not like I can hide from her forever. We do share a room.”

Clark drew in a breath and nodded slightly, resting his chin on top of her head.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Okay.”

A second later they were teleported to the middle of the dorm room that Chloe shared with Lana.

Chloe’s eyes widened at the sight that greeted them: Lana Lang wrapped up in a very passionate embrace with none other than Lex Luthor.


	9. Chapter 9

Chloe was nearly bowled over by the wave of shock emitting off Clark and she instinctively reached out and encircled his wrist in her hand, clearing her throat loudly.

Lex and Lana jumped apart, looking every bit as stunned as Clark and Chloe.

A guilty expression settled on Lana’s face and she quickly looked away, looking like she wanted to throw up.

The room was filled with tense silence.

“So I’m guessing you weren’t expecting company.” Chloe broke the silence with her sarcastic remark.

Lana looked pained and she looked at Chloe with anxiety in her eyes. “Would you excuse us?”

She started to protest when Clark glanced down at her, giving her hand a light squeeze.

“It’s okay, Chloe.” His voice was quiet, his eyes reassuring.

She had her doubts, but didn’t protest, slowly moving away from Clark and heading for the door, not catching the look that passed between the two men before Lex followed her out into the hallway, rubbing the back of his neck.

She sat down in the dorm lounge, watching him warily as he did the same. She wanted to glare at him, to hate him, but she couldn’t. After all, she and Clark had been kissing only moments ago. It would be pretty hypocritical for her to judge Lex for doing the same thing with Lana. Of course, she was pretty sure that Lex and Lana weren’t in nearly the same situation as she and Clark, but she supposed that didn’t matter.

Drawing in a breath, she rested her head against the wall, her body tense as she felt a wave of betrayal wash over her. And knew it wasn’t her own.

* * *

“So. You and Lex.” Clark’s voice was even as he leaned against the door, his arms folded across his chest.

Lana looked at him guiltily. “Clark, I’m really sorry you had to see that,” she whispered.

“I’m not.”

She glanced at him in surprise.

“I actually came here to tell you I didn’t think this was working out.” He motioned between them.

Lana’s eyes widened a little. “You…were?”

Clark gazed at her coolly, unable to resist the feeling of betrayal despite the fact he’d done the same thing.

She met his gaze and held it, the truth slowly beginning to dawn on her. “You and Chloe?”

“Yeah. Me and Chloe.”

Lana opened her mouth to speak but wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh…wow, that’s…” She stood up and moved to stand out the window.

“I’m not gonna ask how long you and Lex have been seeing each other,” he said bluntly.

Swallowing hard, she simply nodded. “Okay.”

* * *

“So.” Lex leaned forward in his seat, gazing at Chloe. “I hear you and Clark have suddenly developed your own meteor powers.”

A rush of anxiety hit her and she forced it away, meeting his gaze with a cool, steely one of her own. “Yeah, that’s right. We were in an accident.”

“A car accident?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” He nodded a bit. “And yet there was no police report of either one of you being in a vehicle accident in the last month.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been spying on us?”

“Of course not. I’m simply watching out for my friends.”

“I didn’t know you had any,” she snarked.

“Ouch.” Lex shook his head a little.

“You should learn how to mind your own business, Lex.” Her voice was cold and she leaned back in her chair, glaring at him.

“Now that’s the pot calling the kettle black if I ever heard it, considering you’re an investigative reporter. Although technically you just type up obituaries and wedding announcements, right?”

“For now,” she said, seething on the inside. “But when I move up, I’ll be sure and do plenty of investigating on the illegal activities of large corporations.”

Lex smirked and didn’t reply.

* * *

Clark felt a sudden rush of barely controlled anger and knew instantly it was coming from Chloe. Realizing she was out there alone with Lex with plenty of reasons to be upset with the billionaire, he figured it’d be wise if he cut his chat with Lana short and went to make sure she didn’t use her newfound powers on the executive.

“I hope we can still be friends.” Her voice was soft.

He felt all his anger and betrayal melt away at her words. He didn’t want to be upset with her. After all, he’d fallen in love with his best friend and gotten married without even knowing it. “I hope so too.” He nodded and headed out of the room and down the hall to where Chloe and Lex were sitting in the dorm lounge. Lex was smirking and Chloe was glaring daggers at him.

“Hey. You ready to go?” He glanced briefly at Lex, then turned his attention to Chloe, who stood up.

“Way more than ready,” she said icily, throwing Lex one last withering glare before standing up. Smirking, she grabbed Clark’s arm, concentrated, and teleported them back to the Kent farm, missing the shocked look on Lex Luthor's face as they vanished.


	10. Chapter 10

Chloe was more than a little surprised at how relaxed Clark seemed as the day went on. Considering he’d just found out that Lana, the girl he’d supposedly loved since he was a kid, was cheating on him with his former friend Lex, he was taking the news remarkably well. Either that, or he was hiding his real feelings very, very well.

She sat on the fence and watched him as he tossed bales of hay effortlessly onto a trailer for his dad. As if sensing her gaze, he turned to look at her, offering her that old familiar grin that had always made her heart melt.

“Break time?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Sure.” Still grinning, he walked over to where she was sitting atop the fence.

Chloe couldn’t help but return the smile, though she felt uneasy. “Clark…let’s talk.”

“Chloe, I already know what you’re gonna say,” he began.

“Really? You can read my mind now too?” she asked, teasing.

“I don’t have to. I feel your emotions, remember?” Clark’s voice was quiet, serious. He gazed at her. “You’re confused about why I’m not more upset about Lana and Lex.”

Chloe simply gazed at him, letting her silence be her answer.

He drew in a breath and leaned on the fence beside her. “Chloe, I already told you I’m over Lana. I’m not exactly thrilled that she turned to Lex because I think he’s dangerous, but I also feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.”

“How do you mean?”

Clark looked at her. “I wasn’t looking forward to hurting Lana,” he told her softly. “So in a way I’m glad she’d already moved on because now I don’t feel guilty for doing the same.”

“Oh.” Her voice was so soft it was barely audible and she swallowed hard.

“Chloe, I know you still have doubts.” He gazed at her intently, his blue eyes searching her hazel ones. “But I don’t. You’re the one I want to be with.”

“I feel that, Clark, I just…” Chloe looked at the ground. “I’ve waited for six years for you to realize I was a girl and even look at me with a fraction of the interest on your face that I’ve seen you show Lana time and again and now that you do…I guess it’s just taking awhile to sink in.”

“Is there anything I can do to make it sink in a little faster?” he asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and leaned toward him a little. “Clark Kent, are you flirting with me?”

“I’m allowed. You are my wife.” He grinned.

Hearing him say those words stirred something primal inside her that she hadn’t known existed. “Only by law. We haven’t consummated anything to make it official.” Her voice was low, and her eyes darkened a little with desire.

Clark’s grin slid away as he felt a similar feeling stirring inside of him. “We could change that,” he murmured, reaching up and touching her face, gazing intently into her eyes.

Wordlessly, Chloe slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his, heat flooding her body as his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against him. And suddenly, she was very, very glad that Clark’s parents were out of town until tomorrow.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut lies ahead! You've been warned.

Clark carried Chloe into the house and up to his bedroom, hardly taking his eyes off her on the way. Her lips were moving lightly over his neck and he couldn’t help the groan that escaped him. He gently set her down on his bed before moving to lock his bedroom door. He knew his parents weren’t supposed to be home until sometime the next day, but he didn’t feel like risking someone walking in on them, either.

She watched him as he locked the door, then went over and pulled the blind on his window, a small smile tugging at her lips. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest as she watched him light some candles with his heat vision. Then he moved to his CD player and popped in a CD.

“Going all out,” she commented.

He smiled at her. “You deserve it.”

She leaned back on her elbows, listening as a familiar song came on. “The Roswell theme song?” She grinned. “Clark, I’m impressed.”

He blushed. “Well, I can kinda relate…you know, to the whole…aliens with powers living on earth and masquerading as humans.”

Chloe’s eyes twinkled. “I knew you were a closet fan.”

He chuckled. “You’re onto me.”

She gazed at him, the smile fading from her face as a surge of desire washed over her. It was so powerful she couldn’t determine if it was hers, his, or both combined, but she was guessing the latter. The look on his face reflected the fact that he felt it, too.

Clark moved toward the bed, his gaze locked on hers.

The breath caught in her throat and she held very still, watching as he approached her. She’d never seen that look in his eyes before--that look that clearly said she was about to be devoured.

Chloe could hardly wait.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze still focused on her face, he reached out and touched her cheek, caressing it lightly with his fingers. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch without hesitation. Then she drew in a slow breath as he slid his hand down to rest against her collarbone.

“Are you scared?” he asked softly.

“No,” she answered without hesitation. “Are you?”

“A little,” Clark admitted.

“Because you’re afraid of hurting me?”

He didn’t answer, but the wave of anxiety she felt from him was answer enough.

“You won’t hurt me, Clark.” There was certainty in her voice.

“How do you know?” he whispered.

Chloe opened her eyes to look at him, a faint smile on her face. “Well, because I’m not human anymore, for one.”

A smile tugged at his lips.

“And I really don’t think that Jor-El would have uh…let us get married if the horizontal tango was going to hurt me.”

Clark chuckled, shaking his head, and feeling more assured than he had been. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly before moving away to open the top drawer of his dresser. He returned holding up a foil packet. “I don’t really know if this will prevent anything since we’re not…”

“I’ll take my chances, Clark.” Her voice was soft.

He sat down on the edge of the bed once more and set the package on his nightstand.

For a long moment, they simply gazed at one another. Then, slowly, Chloe sat up and moved closer to him, reaching out and touching his face gently. She smiled at the way his eyes drifted shut, at the deep breath he took. Good to know her touches affected him the same way his touches did her. Feeling more confident, she slid her hands down to rest against his chest, her right hand covering his heart and feeling it beat beneath her palm.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he echoed, sliding his arms around her waist and drawing her up against him. He rested his cheek against hers, breathing in the sweet scent of her papaya shampoo, and gently nuzzling her neck, placing a soft kiss against her skin.

The urge to hurry was strong, but neither was about to give into that temptation. Not the first time they made love.

Chloe’s fingers gently stroked the hair at the nape of his neck and she brushed her lips over his cheek, then his ear, smiling at his involuntary groan. She felt his fingers slide through her hair, slowly pulling away from her and gazing at her for a moment before his eyes drifted shut and he kissed her lips.

It was a soft, gentle kiss to begin with but it quickly turned into a deeper, seeking kiss as his tongue explored her mouth. His hands slid down her back, resting just below her shoulders, his thumbs drawing small circles there and she leaned her forehead against his for a moment as she broke the kiss to catch her breath.

She lowered her lips to kiss his neck, then dropped lower and began planting light kisses against his collarbone as he instinctively drew her closer yet.

After a moment, he pulled away enough to look at her, hesitantly reaching out and undoing the top button of her white blouse. He met her eyes as if asking for permission to go further and she offered him a warm smile in response. She knew by the look in his eyes he wasn’t going to hesitate again.

Seconds later, all the buttons were undone and the material drifted back together as his eyes flared with desire.

Chloe smiled at his reaction, happy and excited that she was making him want her so badly. Of course, that worked both ways and he knew it too. Wordlessly, she pressed a kiss to his lips, rising up on her knees on the mattress and pulling the blue t-shirt over his head, discarding it onto the floor.

She felt a warmth spread within her at the sight of his bare chest and arms. Kryptonian guys were definitely more built than human guys. That alone should have tipped her off about his real identity years ago. She laid her hands against his bare skin and he sucked in a breath. She knew he was trying to control himself as best he could and she smiled briefly before leaning closer and kissing his chest.

“Chloe,” he whispered, need obvious in his voice.

She kissed a trail from his chest to his lips and when their mouths met this time, it was a fiery, passionate kiss unlike any she’d ever experienced before in her life--not that she’d had a lot of experience. A second later she found herself flat on her back gazing up at him in surprise as he leaned over her, his eyes intense.

He pulled her shirt the rest of the way off and tossed it off the bed, neither of them caring where it landed.

Chloe swallowed hard as his gaze swept over her half-clothed body. She’d always been a little insecure about the way she looked but the desire she felt roll through him left her little doubt that he was let down in any way. He left her no time to think or be insecure as his mouth captured hers once more, his left hand coming to rest against her breast.

She moaned involuntarily, biting his lower lip lightly and without warning, he pressed his lower body against hers, causing them both to cry out at the heat that passed between them.

“This has to go.” Clark carefully tugged her skirt off and discarded it and then raised up and started to undo the button on his jeans, but she stilled his hands with her own.

“I want to,” she told him, feeling short of breath. She quickly undid the button and drew down the zipper, watching him slide the jeans off his legs and letting them drop to the floor with the rest of their clothes. Then he crawled back onto the bed, gazing at her.

“Your turn,” he said huskily, kissing her neck as he slid the straps of her black bra down first one arm, then the other.

Chloe closed her eyes, holding her breath as he undid the back of the bra and tossed it away, as well.  
Clark sucked in a breath as he gazed at her, growing even harder at the sight of her nearly naked body. “Lie down,” he whispered.

Swallowing hard, she slowly did as he asked, keeping her eyes closed until she felt his lips brush against first one breast, then the other, causing her to moan and shift restlessly, the heat building between her legs. “Clark.” Her voice was pleading.

He kissed a trail down to her stomach, tasting her skin and smiling as he heard her moan again. He hooked his thumbs into the elastic of her lacy black panties and slowly peeled them off her body, then slowly slid his body over hers once more.

Chloe slowly opened her eyes to gaze at him. “Make love to me, Clark,” she whispered.

He kissed her softly and was out of his boxers in seconds. She sucked in a breath at the sight of him. He was huge, and for the first time she wondered if this would work after all. She watched as he rolled the condom over himself and returned his gaze to hers, sensing her anxiety.

“Relax,” he said very softly. He rested a hand on her stomach and she let out a breath, doing as he said and letting her mind drain away all of its thoughts. Right now, the only thing she wanted was to be with Clark in every way possible.

“I’m ready,” she whispered and he responded by sliding his body over hers, bare skin against bare skin. Winding her arms around him, she slid her hands down his back, feeling the muscles there and placing a soft kiss against his shoulder.

“I love you, Chloe.” His voice was quiet, but serious as he gazed down at her, his hardness pressed against her thigh.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, searching his eyes and nodding slightly.

Clark drew in a breath and slowly began to sink into her, closing his eyes as her warmth embraced him in the most intimate way.

She bit down on her tongue as he slowly eased into her, stretching her and filling her in a way she’d never been filled before. It was the most delicious kind of ache she’d ever experienced and she needed more. Surprising him, she wound her legs around his waist, urging him farther into her and causing them both to cry out.

Clark rested his head against her breasts, gritting his teeth to remain in control of his body. When she lifted her hips to meet his, he gently thrust against her.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, tightening her legs around him even more as she urged him to do it again. That slight bit of encouragement was all he needed and he gazed into her eyes as they made love with a slow, but quickly building passion.

Within moments, they were both flying over the edge together, gripping onto one another for dear life as the passion cooled down but didn’t disappear, as the sun outside began to set only to rest for the night and rise again in the morning.

And for the first time in years, both of them felt completely at peace, safe in the other’s warm embrace.


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe awoke slowly, sunlight streaming in from the window and bathing her in a warm, early morning glow. From where her head was resting on Clark’s bare chest, she could hear the slow, steady beat of his heart and a smile curved her lips. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, protecting and possessing her even in his sleep.

She closed her eyes, joy bursting inside of her. She’d never felt this happy, this content before in her entire life. This is exactly what she’d wanted for years and she’d actually gotten her dream.

As if sensing her happiness, Clark stirred slightly, shifting his head on the pillow and winding his other arm around her. “Morning,” he murmured.

Chloe pressed a soft kiss against his collarbone. “Good morning,” she whispered back.

“How ya feeling?” he asked, quite needlessly.

She smirked a little. “Pretty damn good. You?”

Clark grinned. “I think you know.” He kissed the top of her head.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, listening to his heartbeat. “I was kind of afraid this would be awkward.”

“Me too,” he admitted, rubbing her back gently. “But I don’t feel awkward at all.”

Chloe smiled. “Me either. What do you think that means?” She lifted her head to gaze at him.

He gazed back at her. “That this was right,” he answered without hesitation.

“Good answer.” She kissed him softly and he slid his hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head in his palm.

After a moment, she leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes. “I’ve loved you for so long, Clark,” she whispered, her voice almost inaudible.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how I felt sooner. All this time we could’ve…” There was guilt in his voice and she silenced him with a kiss.

“Don’t do that. I think maybe we had to go through the things we did to get here. Besides, we can’t change the past, so let’s not worry about it, okay?”

“Okay.” He kissed her again.

“You know we still have the house to ourselves for awhile,” she said mischievously.

Clark grinned. “I always have liked the way you think.” And without hesitation he rolled them so he was gazing down at her.

Chloe smiled up at him playfully and pulled him closer. “Show me just how much,” she whispered.

* * *

“So what do you want for breakfast?”

Chloe raised an eyebrow as she followed Clark into the kitchen. “You’re going to cook?”

He flashed her a grin. “Yeah. I can do that you know. So what do you want?”

Curious, she leaned her elbows on the countertop. “Pancakes?” she ventured.

“Consider it done.” He set to work.

Watching him for a long moment, she smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. “I’m gonna go see if there’s any good movies on TV.”

Nodding, Clark turned to look at her. “Sounds good.”

Chloe met his gaze and held it for a long moment, then headed into the living room. She picked up the remote control and clicked the power button, beginning to flip through the channels. She frowned as she realized all five channels were carrying live news reports and she finally paused on the WB.

She listened as the reporter, somewhere off camera, talked quickly as the news showed shots of a huge fire somewhere in Metropolis. Her heart sped up and she dropped onto the edge of the sofa, staring wide-eyed at the screen. “Clark,” she whispered so softly she wasn’t sure she’d actually spoken his name until she saw him standing beside her. She motioned to the screen.

The Daily Planet was engulfed in flames.


End file.
